


A Firework Through Time

by shenala



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brooklyn Boys Birthdays, M/M, Not Infinity War or Endgame Compliant, Steve Rogers 101st
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-07 18:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19474459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenala/pseuds/shenala
Summary: For Steve's 101st birthday he just wants Bucky.





	A Firework Through Time

See, the thing was... Steve hadn't had a birthday that was just him and Bucky for a really long time. 

Before the war, when his Ma had still been alive she'd nearly always been working, so he'd often find himself at the Barnes household on the 4th. It was nothing special, none of them could afford gifts in those days, but Becca could always be counted on to pull out a card she'd made before shoving it discreetly at Bucky, who in turn would pass it to Steve with a flourish. 

When Sarah was gone though, well then it had just been the two of them. Buck would pick up any shifts he could in the morning, but when the late afternoon started to shift into the evening he would cheer "c'mon Stevie, it's ya birthday, we gotta celebrate!" Privately, Steve had sometimes wondered if it was less of a "yay, another year older" celebration, and more of a "thank god he didn't die this year" kind of thing. But regardless, they'd been together and Bucky would find some thoughtful gift for him (except the year it had been a canary, he still wasn't sure where it came from or where it went but that had been an odd one) before they would huddle up on the fire escape to watch the fireworks splash across the sky. 

And every year, right from the first time they'd seen the displays together as kids, Bucky would sling an arm around his shoulder, pull him close and declare through a warm smile "see Steve, everyone's celebratin' just for you. It's all for you."

Then they were at war, and well, there wasn't much call for fireworks when you're crawling through some muddy pit in the middle of occupied-Europe. Now, explosions? There were plenty of those, but they weren't the kind that made you gaze at the sky and say "wow", rather they made you flatten yourself against the earth and let out a litany of curses while hoping none of your group was hit (this included when it was Dernier doing the pyrotechnics). 

But Bucky had still found a way to make sure that Steve knew when it was his day and would murmur a soft "happy birthday sweetheart" followed by a just as swift press of lips before a chocolate bar of unknown origin would be dropped into his palms as the Sergeant slipped out of the tent to get the day started and to make sure that Dum-Dum was aware that "no Dugan we don't want you to make a cake out of leaves.. yes I'm sure.. what? No those berries that you're pretty sure aren't poisonous aren't a better idea.." and "I swear to whoever-the-fuck is listening, Monty, if you put that bucket of piss anywhere near that tent I'll put your head in it... no, you can't prank him because it's his birthday.. why? Because then I'll have to deal with it, that's why." Thankfully, Gabe and Morita had been content with a simple "happy birthday Cap" when he tentatively emerged from the tent (a necessary precaution in case Monty had tried a different trick). 

And then, well then there'd been the ice. 

His first birthday in this strange new world had been spent alone, most of it on a bench in Prospect Park, thinking about everything that had come before, still attempting to reconcile that with the now that had seen him fighting literal aliens just 2 months earlier, and of course, memories of Bucky. There had been no-one to wish him a happy birthday in 2012, despite the entire nation celebrating the date and also in many cases, him. He'd spent the evening holed up in his SHIELD assigned apartment with the tv playing something he paid no attention to and the curtains drawn tightly shut to keep out the sights of the fireworks, even though he was unable to drown out the sounds.

He wasn't sure where he'd been on his 95th birthday, probably somewhere for SHIELD with Natasha, either way, it hadn't been a memorable day and he felt certain he hadn't even noticed the date a the time. 

Now the next year had been a little different because he'd known Bucky was alive and he'd already spent a couple of months searching for him in vain. Had they been in Mexico? No, Peru. Steve hadn't given it much thought until Sam mentioned it at the end of the day with a quick, "oh man I almost forgot, happy birthday". And that had been that.

In 2015 he'd been at Avengers Tower, tidied up post-Ultron, with the rest of the team after Sam made it abundantly clear that "we need a break Cap, we aren't going to find him like this". And Tony had put on one of the most extravagant fireworks displays Manhattan had seen, and there had been no shortage of people with birthday greetings. But Steve had found himself, alone, on the balcony looking out over the city he loved, wishing for just one thing... the man he loved even more. 

Now, granted the year that followed gave him that, just not quite in the way he'd been hoping for. In the weeks before, Peggy had died, Bucky had been framed, the Avengers had split over the Accords, he'd physically fought with Tony, he'd dropped the shield, rescued his friends from the highest security prison there was and then gone into the wind as one half of the most wanted fugitive couple on the planet. But... he'd had Bucky. T'Challa had sent them a message a few days before offering them refuge and so, on the 4th July 2016, they were preparing for their journey.

Bucky was mostly silent those days as he fought to regain his memories, and battled to resolve who he was then and who he could be now, but that morning as they sat eating breakfast at a rickety green table, he'd reached across tentatively, afraid of rejection, to lay his skin against Steve's before with a smile just as fragile he murmured "happy birthday Steve... m'sorry there's no fireworks here". And hadn't that just been everything Steve could possibly have wished for at that moment.

365 days later and they'd been in Wakanda, both still wanted men but together once more and T'Challa had declared it a "special day". He'd spent some time wandering around markets with Bucky before they'd eaten lunch next to the lake and gotten into an impromptu water fight that had Shuri shaking her head with exasperation when she collected the pair of dripping wet Brooklyn boys. And then that night he'd stood next to Bucky on the palace's terrace, his arm tight around the brunet's waist, as they gazed up at the silent but no less stunning fireworks the Princess had designed just for them. And later, when it was just the two of them, curled close despite the heat, Bucky had tipped his nose against Steve's and whispered "happy birthday Rogers."

Last year had seen them start in the same place they were now, their bed in Brooklyn, but apparently not celebrating your 100th birthday was just not allowed so they'd all gathered at the Tower where Tony had almost listened to Bucky about not doing anything too flashy... which meant every available surface inside was draped in red, white and blue, while outside had the "A" lit up in the same colours with a ridiculously large flag flying underneath it, it's twin flowing in the breeze atop the building. Tony had truly committed himself to the colour scheme and everything from the food to the man himself matched the tricolour, although even Steve would admit that Tony pulled off the bright red shirt, the even brighter blue pants and the glittery white shoes. 

Not to be outdone by Shuri, Stark had also bust out the silent fireworks, although with the rest of Manhattan lighting up the skies with bangs and pops Bucky had snarkily asked what the point was but it didn't stop him from crowding up behind Steve as they watched the display, arms tight around the blonde's waist as he pressed a kiss under his ear and followed it with "never thought I'd see you make 100 Stevie, happy birthday doll." 

So yes, he'd had birthdays with Bucky since they both joined this new century but they had involved the pair of them being either on the run, seeking sanctuary in Wakanda or surrounded by everyone the knew. 

This year it seemed as if the universe were working for them (for once) and had everyone else busy. Sam was in Harlem, no doubt groaning at how many "Uncle Sam" jokes his family could come up with since he'd taken over the shield. Natasha and Clint were spending the long weekend at a beach house in Rhode Island, whose house it was Steve wasn't entirely sure but it was Nat so that wasn't surprising. Tony and Pepper had decided to leave the States for the summer and were in Paris, with Bruce following their lead and booking himself into a yoga retreat in Andorra. Wanda and Vision were still backpacking somewhere in South America, with the former sending Bucky frequent food updates as they made their way through and around the continent. Rhodey and Carol were doing a tandem skydive, Scott was with Hope and their families, Thor was off-world somewhere, and Peter was in Queens, hopefully staying out of trouble.

Which meant that on this morning, 4th July 2019, when Steven Grant Rogers woke up in the arms of James Buchanan Barnes, metal cool against his always warm stomach, he was able to gaze across at his husband and marvel at how they had nowhere to be and nothing to do. There was nothing pulling him away from the sight of brunet hair splayed across a pillow, or the slight snore coming from the lips he knew better than his own. And when steel grey eyes blinked open, still clouded from sleep and crinkled in the corners as a smile stretched its way onto a post-yawn mouth, there was nothing that could stop him from moving up even closer to press a kiss there to the very tip of that grin that moved to press more firmly against his own before murmuring against his skin "mm, g'morning Stevie, happy birthday" 

There was no rush or schedule to their day, they simply followed the sunbeams from their bedroom to their kitchen before moving to sit on their small patio; coffee cradled in one hand, fingers tangled with the other. Pancakes were cooked, flipped, and eaten. Bucky did yoga, laughing as Steve tried to speed draw the positions before Bucky fell out of them. Lunch was eaten as they walked the Brooklyn streets that had birthed them, hot dogs in hand as kids played, celebrating the day off school, buildings draped in flags. Back home they became a tangle of limbs on the sofa as they read their respective books (Bucky's a battered sci-fi novel he'd borrowed from Tony, Steve's a fantasy story that had been thrust into his grasp by Nat) before pizza was ordered and eaten as the sky darkened. 

Later they made their way to the roof, which Bucky had turned into a luscious garden complete with an extra-large hammock fit for the two of them, and looked out over the firework scattered night. 

"Sorry, it's not as good as last year, pal."

Steve turned to the man curled up on his left, "what? How is this not as good as last year?"

Refusing to meet his gaze full-on, Bucky replied "well we had all those fireworks at the Tower and everyone was there..." before he could continue Steve's hand snuck across his mouth stopping any further comment. 

"Buck, this, right here, you and me in our home, is all I ever wanted. Do you remember what you said to me the year I had that real bad chest infection and we had to stay in?" At the shake of Bucky's head, Steve continued, "You said: I don't need fireworks, Steve, I've got you, and you burn bright enough for all of Brooklyn" and I told you not to be sappy" here he stopped to press a kiss to the blush creeping across the brunet's cheek, "but you were right, we don't need that. You are the brightest spark in all the world Bucky Barnes, trust me, it's real dark without ya. So this? This is perfect. Besides, we're both very old men now so I think we're meant to prefer the quiet life." 

This final comment drew a snort of amusement from Bucky, but it was followed by a sweet kiss full of the promise of what was to come when they returned to their bed later that evening before it was broken to cuddle up close to the blonde's chest. 

"Steve?"

"Yeah, Buck?"

"Can we get a dog?"

"What? I mean, yeah, why not? But why are you asking now?"

"Quiet lives need dogs, Steve. Everyone knows that."

"Oh, well as long as everyone knows that I suppose we'll have to get a dog." 

"Damn right."

"Jerk."

"Punk."

"Wanna go in and eat cake?"

"Yep."

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi: shenala.tumblr.com


End file.
